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Shiloh, Stone Fox, Where the Red Fern Grows, Sounder, and Call of the Wild

Cody's Book Club

Sounder

by
William H. Armstrong

'Sounder' is
a story about a family's hard times in the South.

If
you have read this book,
send us your review. If you answer all three questions below,
we'll post your name and you'll be in the Club!

A
review is 2 or more sentences answering these 3 questions:

1)
Did you like the book?

2)
Why (this is very important!)?

3)
What parts did you like or not like?

You
must answer all three questions
to have your review posted.

The very best reviews will get a
star!

Congratulations
to these members of Cody's Book Club!

Updated 8/21/09

Rayven,
age 14, Georgia

I
loved the book because I had a dog and about the same thing happened
to me. My favorite part was when they thought Sounder
was dead, but he ended up being alive.

Jasmine,
Arkansas USA

I really
enjoyed this book. It was very heart touching!!! I liked
how the mother was very strong and took care of her family
while her husband was in jail. Also I like howstrong-minded
the boy was... Most of all the outstanding characterwas
Sounder...I did not like how he was shot, but through it all he made
it through and ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!). at
the end!
(Tears) Over all it was a great
book.

Ali,
age 13, Maryland USA

Well, I thought it ENDED up as a good book, but the beginning
I thought was very slow until of course Sounder gets shot and the boy's
father gets taken to jail. It was a good book. The movie was great,
too. I liked it because it was very true and not made up and it
somewhat showed what life was like back in the 1930's. At first
I disliked the part where Sounder gets shot, but if those events
didn't happen, it would be a very slow and boring book. I do recommend
this book for younger kids.

Anonymous,
age 13, Hertfordshire
UK

1.
To be honest, I thought it was interesting, but I didn't like it
at all.
2. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I do care about this stuff, but it's
just too sad for me and anyone sane.
3. I hated the bit when Sounder got shot, and I hope they don't say 'oops!
you'll have to read the book yourself' ugh, get over it, just don't read
it please. I mean the book!

Brad, age 11, New Hampshire USA

Yes,
I liked the book. I found it to be very interesting. I like it when Sounder
came back to be with his family.

Lexi, age 15, California USA

Yes, I really liked the book. I liked the book because it was a very realistic
book. This story was also very sad, but when I finished the book, it really
touched me. And when Sounder ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!,
it makes me feel like I want to save him because anyone who reads this
book will fall in love with this dog. The parts I really liked about the
book is when Sounder comes home and this may sound a little mean, but
I sort of also liked it when Sounder ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!.
That part almost made me cry, but that is what makes a good book in my
opinion. That makes a good book because the reader really grows attached
to the character. Sounder is a great book, I have read it twice already.

Anonymous, age 14, Kansas USA

I like the book because it had three really good characters. The main
character Sounder "the dog" was the only one that had a name.
I liked that Sounder was attached to his father. I felt bad that the father
had to steal food for his family, and then they came and took him to jail.
But I didn't like that ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!...almost
at the same time and the boy is left behind.

Jonathan, age 13, Kansas USA

I
like the book. I like the book because the boy never stops looking for
his father until he's found. I didn't like the part where the dog got
shot and then died later.

Alex, age 14, Kansas USA

I
like this book because I got to learn about a dog named Sounder and how
he was living with a family. The part that I did not like about this book
was when the father stole the food for the family, but also I think that
was a great idea because the family had to eat.

Gabriella, Age 15, Kansas USA

I
think Sounder was a great book. This book is a heart- breaking book! You
go through mixed feelings. I loved how the boy never gave up on looking
for his father. He kept going know matter what. Even when his mother told
him to stop looking for him it was not any use. He was gone, gone forever.
There was a lot of adventure in this book.

I
think everyone should read this book. You learn so much from reading.
This book is a time setting book which could be happening now. Everyone
would love this book. Know matter who you are. If you don't like reading
books, then you will start. Once you start you won't want to put any book
down. It turns into a movie! This movie turns at the end.

Michael, age 13, Kansas USA

I liked this book. It was cool. I thank the book was entertaining.It had
some bad parts and some good parts. I think the boy's life wasn't that
bad. It could be a lot worse. I think that more kids should read the book
or do book reports. It is a fun book.

Dethishere, age 13,
Kansas USA

I
did not like this book this much. It was too slow and the setting is at
the house all the time. He meets a teacher that helps him read. I like
the part where the father and the dog ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!.
The dogs...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!...
from a explosion in the mines. That is it; hoped you liked it.

I really like this book. I can see how that could have happened. The story
is also about people being prejudice. Most of my friends liked the book,
too. I really like the wording in the paragraph about how soulful Sounder's
howl was.

Brittany, age 13, Maine
USA

I liked this book. I liked this book because it was interesting. I like
the part where he smashed the cake. It really shows how the blacks were
treated in the book. I like the whole book so far and I would recommend
it to kids 13 and older just because it's about dog and it was a very
interesting book! I like this book a lot. It was my favorite book so far
just because I like dogs a lot!

Sarah, age 14, Ohio
USA

Yes, I like this book a lot, mainly because it deals with how a family
deals with and because of the dog, it is very trustworthy.
I didn't like when Sounder got shot and the boy was looking for
him so much and worried about him. It made me really sad, but
that is what a good book does to you.

Dylan, age 13, Massachusetts
USA

I
read this book, and liked it a lot, but I'd rather tell the people who
didn't like this book why they really didn't. Those who said it was stupid
because the characters didn't have names just said they aren't good readers.

The
author did that so that readers could relate to the characters in it!
He wanted the family to represent the whole African American race being
discriminated against. It's an art, not an absence, and if you can't read
between the lines, then that's your problem, not Mr. Armstrong's.

Holly, age 14, Maryland
USA

I
liked this book a lot. At the beginning it started off slow but then it
got interesting. My favorite part is when the cake gets smashed since
it really shows how blacks were treated. I recommend this book to anyone.

I loved this book MUCHOOOO... I don't see why other people are saying
it is boring...dude I couldn't stop reading it. Seriously I am not kidding...and
i am not a reader but this book has motivated me to start reading more...you
never know what the book will be like until you start reading it. REMEMBER...
NEVER jUgDe A bOoK bY iTs cover!!!!

This
book was so good... you will definitely fall in love with Sounder. His
owners and him were such nice people that they do not deserve to be treated
harshly by the racist white men...just for stealing a HAM...oh yea it
was a ham...ok?

This
book was so good because it shows how BOY never gave up...he tried hard
and never quit! He becomes a man within his journey in search for his
father. I am so proud of him on how he had the willingness and motivation
of wanting to learn how to read.

I
just really got into the book...all the characters had a perfect personality...regardless
of them not having a name. I did not like how boy and his father and Sounder...basically
the whole family, were affected by racism in the novel. Anyone who is
racist should know that they are hurting people...good thing racism has
been diminishing!!! Well... I just wanted to say I did enjoy reading this
book.... it was AwEsOmE!!! :] BYEEE!!!

Jacqui, age 13, California
USA

I loved this book. It was one of the best books i have ever read!!! I
loved it because it showed courage of a little boy and the strength of
him! He showed compassion and love to the dog and the father. One of my
favorite parts was the dog getting up after he was shot and that the boy
first held on with all his might. I loved how the dog used its ability
to heal itself by going to the oak tree and getting sap. What I hated
was that the father...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!

Aniba, age 13, Ontario
Canada

I actually really enjoyed reading this book because it gave a good perspective
of what life was like back then and that you shouldn't take stuff for
granted. The part which I didn't like was when the boy's father was arrested
because of stealing just because he was trying to feed his family and
preventing them from starving and when Sounder's ear gets shot off.

The part I liked was when the father returns home and so does Sounder.
Also, I didn't like the part when the father's body gets paralyzed and
when ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!

Olin, age 10, Singapore

I sort of like that book and I wondered how it would end. My favourite
part was when Sounder and Dad came home because it looked like something
good was going to happen. The strange part for me was understanding how
the boy got hurt by the fence. I wondered if it was the guard or if the
fence was simply dangerous. The part I hated the most is when the red-faced
guard of the prison destroyed the boy's cake. I wish I had not read that
book because it made me feel like those persons in their cold, scary world.

Iesha, age 13, MS USA

I
liked this book because it is a story that teaches you to never take anything
for granted. My favorite part of the book is when Sounder comes home.
The part I did not like was when the boys dad gets taken away.

The
book was a decent book. It showed how African Americans were treated back
in the day. I am glad that it is not like that anymore, because if it
was, I would be treated bad because of my color. This book touched my
heart very much. The boy was very sad when he lost Sounder, it was all
he had left after his father had been taken away by the three white men.
I really do feel for him. The only thing is they need more about the boy
and they need to have names for the characters other than Sounder. I kept
getting lost because I forgot who was who. But overall, it was very excellently
written. Peace Up! A-town!

Mehreen, age 13, Texas
USA

I
like this book very much, but this book does not give enough information
about the boy's past. That is needed in this book because you can begin
to lose interest. But other than that, this is a great book for all ages.

I
like this book because also it is very sad to know how people were treated
and how they passed through these hard times together. I like the parts
where it's very interesting, like when everything happens so fast and
how the family deals with these problems that occur in their lives. If
you have not read this book hit the library because this is a must read!

Bob, age 13, New York
USA

I
liked the book because I thought it was easy to understand and wasn't
a book that you read and then had to ask yourself what did I just read!
Well, overall I would give it a 7-8 but I didn't like that the dog's ear
got shot off!

Erin, age 13, California
USA

Sounder
is a bittersweet story about an African-American who goes from a boy to
man as he searches for his father, who was arrested for stealing food
for his family, and his dog, Sounder, who was shot and crawled away to
die. I really liked this story, because it was very deep and held a hidden
meaning even as it grew depressing. One of my favorite parts was when
Sounder came back to the boy, even as he was dying, to wait together for
the boy's father, who was also the dog's master, to come back. Towards
the end of the story the boy's father came home for his waiting dog and
son, and it was happy until later...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!) But he was now strong
and able to take it. Sounder is a wonderful book and those who don't like
it probably don't understand it and aren't reading it correctly.

Nicole, age 13, Pennsylvania

Yeah the
book was pretty good, but sometimes confusing. I liked the book because
it gives me something to think about and it always kept me wondering what's
going to happen next. I thought it was pretty funny when the teacher started
talking to the plant! But I'm the type of person to read a book for fun
so if I just saw the book somewhere and didn't have to read it for reading
I would have probably never picked it up, sorry!

I like
the part when the boy puts Sound under the pillow and I really didn't
like the part were the dad got arrested for stealing the ham but it really
wasn't him they just thought it was. It was sad and happy in one!!!! I
do love this book and as a matter of fact, I am doing a book report over
this book. It's so cool!

Aleigha, age 13, Indiana
USA

In the
beginning it sounds nice when he wakes up to ham and he only smelled that
like twice. Then it gets sad because his dad gets caught for stealing
and the dog gets shot. But the boy can go to school now!So in a way it
is happy and sad.
I REALLY LIKE THIS BOOK!

Mary, age 14, Oregon
USA

I thought
this book was an excellent read. I liked it because of how much courage
the boy had trying to find his father. My favorite part was when he was
learning to read. Although you could sort of predict what was going to
happen, it was fun reading how William H. Armstrong wrote it. I would
recommend this book to anyone eager to read a great book!

Amanda, age 13, North
Carolina USA

I loved
this book, I liked it because I love dogs and I have one myself. My favorite
part is when Sounder ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!)!

RoHaN, age = 15, Seoul
S. Korea

I really
recommend this book to whomever likes books with animals and adventure.
This is a very emotional book, expressing loss, pain, suffering, and hope.
1) Yes, I loved this book. 2) The book pulls you right into the story,
and shows you how times were in the older days. 3) I disliked the end,
it was sad. :'( ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!)

Mia and Hayley, age 13,
Sydney

I did
not like the book Sounder. Some of the reasons I didn't like it were the
following. Only one character had a name, which was Sounder, which I think
isn't a very good thing to have in a book.

Another
thing was that it was very predictable. It is very obvious that Sounder
would come back. No good author would make one of the main characters
...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!).
Also, I think there wasn't a very good story line. All that happened is
a boy whose father gets taken to jail for stealing a ham, ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!).
Which I think is a very predictable (and not that good) storyline.

It was
a very sad book, which had no adventure in it, which in my opinion is
the making of a bad book. Even though the story shows how black people
were (and still are) treated and how we should not treat them badly, I
would not recommend this book to anyone of any age.

Jeffrey, age 11, Texas,USA

I am not
a reader, but I like animals. When I saw this book I thought this book
was just about dogs. So I checked the book out of the library. It was
better than I thought it would be. The book was great. I got glued to
the book and I could not put the book down. I think that tells you how
much I like the book. I totally disagree with Sara from Georgia. I sort
of like books that are sad. I liked it because it touched me. It made
me think if that is really what they did back in those days, and what
I would do if that was my dog and dad. I did not like that his dad ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!).
I don't like that his dog got shot. I liked everything else about the
book. And I really like William H. Armstrong.

Emily,
age 13, Oregon USA

I read
the book, then I watched the movie. The book is much better because it's
more realistic and it seems like it's the way the black man meant for
it to be. My favorite part was when the father came home and Sounder actually
started barking. I did not like the part when Sounder got shot, it was
so sad.

I really
really liked the book. The 2 sad parts was when the father went to jail,
I mean he just stole a turkey. That's pretty stupid, and when Sounder
got shot. I liked the part when the boy was reading, that was pretty cool.

Renee,
age 14, Canada

Once
I picked up the book, I assumed that it would have been very good, since
it was a Newberry Medal Award Winner. Part of my assumptions were wrong
because as I read, it got boring and dull. I guess I'm not interested
in these kind of books. Part of the book was good, and I recommended it
to people that like realistic and in-the-past books. The book shows you
how the people back in the 19th century South had lived and gone through
hard times. It shows you how a boy makes his choices in every troublesome
situation, and it shows how a dog can be so special in every way.

Alli,
age 13, USA

A sad,
yet pleasurable book about a young boy who loses his dog after his father
has stolen a cake. Rangers show up, take the dad, destroy the house, and
...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!).There
is foreshadowing showing things about Sounder and then what happens to
the father.

Lizmarvsa,
age = 14, Maryland USA

I read
the book Sounder in my French class. It was hard to understand for me,
because the vocabulary level was very high. Despite this, I enjoyed the
book because it was an emotional and inspiring story. I especially liked
how the boy never gave up trying to obtain an education. Overall, a good
book.

Sarah,
age 14, Georgia USA

I hated
this book because first of all the only character who had a name was Sounder.
Second of all, it was so predictable. I mean, most people with common
sense would know that Sounder WOULD come back because any author wouldn't
make the main character die in the 1st part of the novel. So all in all,
my tip for you--Don't waste your time. :)

I particularly
enjoyed reading Sounder. It, I'd have to say was one of the best books
I've ever read. It relates to how racism used to be like back then. They
put a black person in jail for a year just for stealing a single turkey,
and they probably back then would treat white people much differently.
It was sad though how the dog...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!).

Katia,
age 14, New York USA

I think
this is a wonderful book. I love this book because it shows the explicit
characteristics of a real, imaginative, and creative writer. William H.
Armstrong is one of my favorite writers. Another reason why I love this
book because it is realistic book and to love dogs sometimes have just
like I do towards my dog. I would recommend this book to anybody in the
USA because you learn to value your parents and friends.

Khamori,
age 12, Georgia USA

I liked
the book because the worse thing to happen was the father getting arrested
and Sounder...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!).
And that's why I liked SOUNDER.

Chrissy,
age 13, New York USA

I think
the book Sounder by William Armstrong was a great book. One of the things
that I found the most interesting was how the author constantly used symbolism.
I also enjoyed how the boy learned so much on his journey. My favorite
part of the story was when the boy found out Sounder was going to ...oops,
you'll have to read this part yourself!).
Overall, I think Sounder was a wonderful book.

Sounder
was a great novel, I think it was a great novel because any book that
can make you cry is a great book and it felt so real like I was there.
I especially liked it when the boy learned how to read. I found it very
sad when Sounder got shot. One thing that I did not like about the book
was how the only character that had a name was Sounder. I felt very bad
for the family. It must have been hard to grow up being poor and be discriminated
because the color of your skin.

Kyle, age 13, Illinois USA

I
liked this book because it tells you what blacks had to deal with back
in that time. I liked this book because I like dogs. I would recommend
this book to anybody in the United States Of America. I would like the
author to write another part of Sounder.

Katherine, age 13, New York USA

When
I read the novel Sounder I learned to appreciate another race more than
I had before. When reading this novel I learned what black people went
through in the 1860's. I also learned much more about black history. The
novel Sounder was a very educational novel because it teaches you about
life, how you have to earn something you want, and how life doesn't always
turn out the way you would have liked it to turn out.

Harold, age 14, Texas USA

I
think this book was great, and I recommend it to people who don't have
sick pets because it has a pet dying and you might be scared because your
pet might die because it is sick.

Frima, age 12, Caracas Venezuela

I think Sounder is a very learning-from book...
why??? Because you learn to like what you have, and you learn to value
your family and friends.

I think this is a wonderful book for us to know
how it was like back in the early 1870's where there were still a lot
of discrimination going on in the southern United States. This book give
us the opportunity for nowadays people to have an idea of how it was like
to be 1870's. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Dominique, age 15, Florida USA

I
loved this book for many reasons. One of these reasons was because it
shows the explicit characteristics of a real, imaginative, and creative
writer. William H. Armstrong is one of the best writers of all time. Another
reason why I loved this book is because it is so realistic and shows the
love for dogs people sometimes have just like I do towards my dog. In
brief conclusion I will just have to say that the book was excellent I
loved it!!!

Kristen,
age 13, Maryland USA

I thought the book was sad. The book was sad about
all the bad things that happened to the boy and his family. It also told
of how the black people were treated in the South. Even though this book
is sad, I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Naomi, age 14, UT

I
had to read a classic book for my Honors English class. This is a great
book. I love how the boy has faith that his dad and Sounder will come
home. I love the description. I could actually picture the place where
he lives and how he felt. I recommend everyone to read this book. You
have not lived if you have not read this book.

I think
this book is a great book because it tells about what blacks went though
in the 1860s. It also teaches people more about black history.

Montana, age 11, Iowa USA

I liked the book Sounder because I think it was
cool but it was very sad at the end.

Kim,
age 13, Indiana USA

Sounder, is an excellent book. It has taught me
a lot about the hard times African Americans have faced. Not only did
I learn about history, I fell in love with Sounder and his family. This
book helped me to appreciate people of another race more.

Clarissa,
age 14, West Virginia USA

I have mixed emotions with this book, because I
AM AN ANIMAL NUT!! It was sad, it was upsetting it was exciting and much
much more!!!

I really
like this book. I can see how that could have happened. The story is
also about people being prejudice. Most of my friends liked the book,
too. I really like the wording in the paragraph about how soulful Sounder's
howl was.

Reneisha,
age 13, Texas USA

I think
Sounder is a good book. The sad part about the book was when the boy's
father got taken to jail and when Sounder got shot. Another sad part
of the book was when...oops,
you'll have to read the ending yourself!).
One of the good things that happened was when the boy started to learn
how to read and went to school, so he could teach his siblings the things
he has learned. Sounder was one of the best books I have read!

Kimberly, age 13, Virginia USA

This
is a good book,. It is a sad, but good book. The only thing I don't
like is that the only suspense is in the beginning.

I thought
this book was da' bomb! I have to do a report on it and the reason why
the sharekeeper (father) gets taken away by the sheriff is because they
think he committed a terrible murder. I've been looking all through
sites on the web. That is how I know this! Not because he stole a ham!
Someone put that! Weird peeps! It was great and I hope everyone gets
to read it.

Nate, age 11, New
York USA

I had
to read this book for English. I hated it! So the dog got shot. I've
had lots of dogs. I don't cry when they die.

Tonya, age 12, USA

The book is
good. I like the part when the boy put Sounders under his pillow.
I didn't like the part when the father gets arrested for stealing a ham.
But he didn't steal the ham.

Vanessa, age 10, Arizona USA

I think this
book was not that good of a book because it was too descriptive
and a little bit more boring than I expected. I will confess that I did cry
in
the beginning. It was the end that got to me because...oops,
you'll have to read the ending yourself! I
think that Sounder was a good book a little
bit because it actually was a little bit of a mystery.

Kelsey, Age 12, California
USA
Great, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

Kaitlynn, Age 10,
Canada

I thought
it was a really exciting book to read. I say that just because it was!

Sammantha, age 11,
Arkansas USA

I think everybody
should read this book it is very good. When I got in
the middle of the book, that's when I started liking it. I just hope when
everybody will read this and if you haven't read this book Sounder and
don't want to read then that's ok, but you're missing out on a really good
book. If you haven't read the book you will like this book a lot. It is
very heart warming and it will make you cry.

Pearl, age 11
I really liked the book. I am a dog lover and so I enjoyed reading it for
that reason. It was a very touching book, enough to make someone cry.
It shows how bad the races acted toward each other back then. The boy
got kicked and hit with hard metal and that was cruel. I wish the story
would have ended different. But it was still a great book. I would
recommend it to any mature reader to read.

Julie, age 10, New York

I thought
this book was very moving. I was very upset when ...oops!
You'll have
to read the ending yourself!.
Reading this book in my class taught me
a great deal about the lives of sharecroppers in the south after the
Emancipation Proclamation.

It was a very
good and touching book. The saddest parts were when Sounder was shot and the father was taken to jail. It was also sad at the
end of the book because Sounder and the boy's dad...oops!
You'll have to read the ending yourself! The boy must have felt terrible when Sounder was shot because Sounder was almost everything
that the boy had. I'm glad that African Americans are being treated better
these days.

Kelsey, age 13, Idaho
USA

I liked the
book. It was sad, but it was a great story. I feel better that the African Americans are getting a lot more respect now than they were.

Jessica, age 13, North Carolina USA

I liked the
book Sounder because it seemed real, like I was in it. The book was also very sad because of when the dad got taken away and arrested.
I liked Sounder to be was very sweet. I learned from this book was how life
was in the South. I enjoyed the book a lot, it was a great book.

Jake, age 14, Wisconsin USA

I
liked this book. It was hard for the kids to be poor and have their dad arrested, but it was very realistic. This is the second book
I have read about coon dogs and hard times. I think that if you like 'Where
the Red Fern Grows', then you probably will like 'Sounder'.

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